Niobium-titanium superconductors produced by powder metallurgy having artificial flux pinning centers
US5226947A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 17, 1992 |
| Grant date | Jul 13, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 17, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/12021
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Superconductors formed by powder metallurgy have a matrix of niobium-titanium alloy with discrete pinning centers distributed therein which are formed of a compatible metal. The artificial pinning centers in the Nb-Ti matrix are reduced in size by processing steps to sizes on the order of the coherence length, typically in the range of 1 to 10 nm. To produce the superconductor, powders of body centered cubic Nb-Ti alloy and the second phase flux pinning material, such as Nb, are mixed in the desired percentages. The mixture is then isostatically pressed, sintered at a selected temperature and selected time to produce a cohesive structure having desired characteristics without undue chemical reaction, the sintered billet is reduced in size by deformation, such as by swaging, the swaged sample receives heat treatment and recrystallization and additional swaging, if necessary, and is then sheathed in a normal conducting sheath, and the sheathed material is drawn into a wire. The resulting superconducting wire has second phase flux pinning centers distributed therein which provide enhanced J.sub.ct due to the flux pinning effects.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.